Underreamer



Oct. 28, 1930. E. WILSON 1,779,575

UNDERREAMER Filed Nov. A2l, 1927 2 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR.

EMME? //1/// 50/V.

3%.@ @m1/wwf ATTORNEY Patented Oct. 28, 1930 UNITED STATES EMMETT wrLsomo'r Los ANGELES, GALIFQRNIA i PrxrE`Nry oFFl-CE i UNDERREAMER Application filed November 21, 1927. Serial No. 234,663.

My invention relates to under reamers forunder r'eaming holes in oil wells, or other wells, after the same have been drilled.

The objects of my invention are: first, to provide a newand particularly simple and economical reamer of thisclass; second, toV

provide a reamer of this class whichis applicable for reamingholes in soft formation, as well as in hard rock; third, to provide a reamer of this `class having longitudinally blades, or movable reamer members, which are pivotally mounted inthe body, are re' movedV from the sides, together with their pivot portions, thev same being retained inV position by removable keys ,loosely insert-A ed from one end of the reamer ;v sixth, to provide a novel pivotal connection for blades, or movable pivot members, in a reamer of this class.; and,rseventh, to provide, asta whole, a' novelly constructedunder reamerjfor wells,

and one which is durable, efiicient," and which will not readily deteriorate or get out of order.

With these and other objects in view, as

will appear hereinafter, my. invention consists of certain novel features of construction,

combination yand-arrangement of parts and portions, as will behereinafter described in detail, and particularlyset forthnin theV appended' claims-referencebeing had'to the accompanying drawings. and to the characters of reference thereon whichY form a part Vof this application' in which v l Y Figure l -is a longitudinal elevational view of my reamer in one form of construction, showing the same connected at its upper end to a driver, or sub, and at its lower end to a fishtail drill, shown fragmentarily;` Fig. 2 is an enlargedl transverse sectional view thereof, taken through V2 2 of Fig. 1, showing by dotted lines one of the cutter members folded inwardly; Fig. 3 is a longitudinal sec-l tional view thereof, taken on the line 3`3 ofl F ig. 2, the reamer being shown fragmentari.- ly and also shown connected to `fragmentary portionsrof the driver and fishtail; Fig. 4 is a fragmentary elevationalview thereof, taken at 4-4of Fig. 2; Fig. 5 is an enlarged fragmentary elevationalview of my reamer in a certain modified form of construction; and, Fig. 6 is a transverse sectional view thereof, taken through .6-6 of Fig. 5.

Lile characters -ofreference refer to similar parts and portions throughout the several views of the drawings. v

The rea-mers, illustrated in the drawings,

and the bodies of which are designated by 1,

are positioned, as in the conventional method of oil well drilling, between the'l driver 2, commonly-known as sub, at thei upper end and a fishtail drill 3 at the lower end. The body l of the reamer Valso forms the coupling betweenthe sub,and the fshtail drill, and for this purpose is provided with internally threaded coupling portions,- or sockets, 1 and lb'at itsupper and lower ends for receiving the externally threaded male ends 2a and 3"' of the,"sub` andiishtail drill 2 and 3, respectively. f j

' The reamer may be provided with twoor more cutting blades or other-reamer members 4. As shown in the drawings, the reamer is provided with threecuting blades, or otherA reamer members, yto provide self-centering andmore rapid and uniform cutting. Between the head portions at the opposite` Y85 ends of the body 1, in which the threaded sockets are provided, are providedlongitudinally extending flutes 1 of peculiarshapa, At the bottom portions of these ilutes, are provided longitudinally extending recess portionsA 1d, 90 which are circular in cross sectionwith the walls thereof extending more than 'a half circle, Y thus providing `long Vcircular recesses open but constricted at one side for positively retaining pivot portions'of the blades, 95 or other reamer members. The reamer members 4, shown in Figs. 1, 2, Sand 4, consist of steel bladeswhich are provided with cutting edges 4@ at their outer sides and with longitudinally extending pivot `portions 4" `00 at their inner edges. These pivot portions 4b are also of circular cross section and of more than semi-circular extent. The connecting portion between the pivot portions ib and the main poriton of the cutting blade is narrower than either of the former portions so as to provide bearing portions in the recess 1d of more than semi-circular extent for retaining` the cutting blades and for permitting the pivotal movement thereof, as Will be described later. At one side of the pivot portions Lib, are provided longitudinally eXtending segmental channels et in Which are fitted correspondingly shaped keys which are inserted after the pivot portions 4b are in place and form a part oit' the pivot portions l" after the same are placed. Said keys are inserted through openings le Which extend through the upper head of the body 1 and which are extensions of the recesses ld'and extend into the sockets l, as shown best in Fig. 8. lt Will be noted that when the keys 5 are removed prior to inserting the blades 4' in position, recesses are formed in the pivot portions Llb Which permit the pivot portions to be inserted into the recesses 1d when 4the same are in or substantially in the position of the blade, shown by dotted lines in Fig. 2. When the pivot portions are in position and the keys 5 inserted in the grooves 4c of the pivot portions, as stated, they blades cannot be removed. The blades are provided at their upper and lower ends with beveled portions 41 which extend tothe peripheries of the heads of the body, so that when the reamer is inserted into the hole, or Withdrawn therefrom, the beveled portions tend to engage obstructions in the holeK and force the blades i about their pivotal axes and Within the extremities of the heads of the bodies. v v

At the axial portion of the body is provided a Water circulating hole 1f Which coml municates with similar holes in the sub and the iishtail drill, and receives Water from the sub. The hole 1f is provided With' a plurality of outwardly directed orifices 1g,- as shown in Figs. 2' and 3. These orifices direct Water under considerable pressure against the blades 4, tending tol force the same outwardly against shoulders of the body, as shown, and alsoV to Washl deposits from the blades.

Teta-ke the place of the blade opening and cleaning means, just described, or to facilitate the action thereof, I have provided cleaning blades 6 which consist of thin blades provided With relatively sharp edges 6u at their free ends and with pivot portions 6b at the upper and lower ends of their inner edges, as shovvn,.best in Fig. 3. rFhese extended ends are inserted into their respective pivot portions in the opposite heads of the body through radial slots 1h at the adjacent inner sides of said heads, or head portions. These radial slots are plugged by plugs 7 after the pivot portions are in place, said plugs being Welded in position, as indicated in Fig. 2. At the inner ends of said plugs 7 are provided small recesses a Which receive the free ends of coil springs 8 Which are positioned in annular reduced portions intermediate the ends of the pivot portions 6b at the opposite ends oi the cleaning blades 6. The free edges of the blades 6 are in continuous engagement With theforward sides of the cutting blades 4 and normally force the latter in a cutting position, as Well as clean the same as the cutting blades are forced inwardly.

In the modified form of construction, shown in Figs. 5 and 6, the principleI is substantially the same, but the cutting blad'es4, or the rea mer members, are slightly enlarged at their outer edges and are provided with. cut out portions fla. The enlarged portions at the outer edges oi the members l and at the opposite ends of the cut outportions 4d* form pivot portionslie. Within the cutout portions 1i, are positioned the longitudinally grooved, or corrugated, steel cutting members, or roll'- ers, 9` which are revol-ubly connected to the pivot portions Lieby pins 10, shownV by dotted lines in Figs. 5 and 6. The opposite ends of the'cutting members 9'are` slightly tapered to Within the edges of the pivot portions 4 to permit the reamer to be more easily inserted into and Withdrawn from the hole.. Since the pivot portions ie extend slight' distances beyond the extremities of the heads at the oppof site ends ofthe body, the same are also slightlyjbeveled, as-indicated in Fig. 5.

In this modification the cleaning blades 6 are eliminated and the reamer membersforced outwardly and the cutting rollers cleaned merely by the Water under pressureV which is discharged from orifices, as described above. The operation of the modi liedi structure i-s substantially the same as that described in connection with theV other structure.` The latter structure,ho\vever, is more particularly adapted for reaming holes in rock.

Though I have shown and described a particular construction, combination andi arrangement oi parts andv portions, and' a certain modilication thereof, l do not Wish to be limited' to this particular construction, combination and arrangement` nor to the modiiication, but desire to include in they scope oi my invention the construction, combination andy arrangement substantially as set forth inl the appended claims.y

Having thus described my invention, what l claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

l. In a reamer of' the class described. a body member having longitudinal flutes inl its sides and pivot portions at the innerportions of said flutes, cutting members having pivot portions at their inner edges, said pivot portions being pivotally mounted in the pivot portions of said body, and keys securing said cuttingmembers Withinthe pivot portions Vof said body. j' f 2. In a reamer of the class described, a body V,member having longitudinal flutes in its sides and pivot portions formed at and by the inner walls of said flutes, cutting members having pivot portions lformed at and by their inneredges, said pivot portions being pivotally mounted in the pivot portions of said body, and keys recessed within the pivot portions of said cutting members, extending longitudinally therewith and forming an exterior part of the pivot portions thereof.

. 3. In a reamer of the class described, a

body member having longitudinal flutes in its sides and pivot portions formed at and by the `inner walls of said flutes, cutting members having pivot portionsy formed at and by their inner edges, said Vpivot portions being pivotally mounted in the pivot portions of said body, and keys recessed within the pivot portions of said cutting members, ex-v tending longitudinally therewith and forming an exterior part of the pivot portions thereof, said keys being inserted through openings at one'end ofthe body.

4. In a reamer of the class described, a

body having flutes. in its sides, said flutes extending to near but spaced from the ends of said body, cutting members of substantially the length of said flutes, the inner edges of said cutting members being pro-v` vided with pivot portions extending to and within the ends of said cutting members and pivotally mounted at the inner Vportions of i said flutes, and keys positioned within and forming an external part of the pivot portions of said cutting members for retaining said cutting members on saidv body and in pivotal relation thereto.

5. In a reamer of the class described, a body having flutes in its sides, said flutes extending to near but spaced from the ends of said body, the inner edges of said cutting members being provided with vpivot portions extending to and within the ends of said l cutting members and pivotally mounted at the inner portions of said flutes, and keys positioned within and forming an external part of the pivot portions of said cutting members for retaining said cutting members on said body and in pivotal relation thereto,

portion of the reamer member to be inserted being of circular cross'section andV of more than semi-circular extent and fitted into said recess through the side thereof, said pivot portion having a removable key forming a part of the pivot portion, said key, when removed from the pivot portion, permitting the pivot portion to be inserted into said recess from the side thereof, said key being inserted from the end of the body. e

8. In an under-reamer, a spider means, head means connected to the ends of said spider means, bearings formed at the juncture of the legs of said spider means, and extending between said head means, income plete journal meansarranged to fit intosald bearings, key meansfcompleting said journal means and arranged to lock said journal means in said bearings, and cutting members associated with said journals .arranged to shift in the spaces between the legs of said spider means.

-9. In an under-reamer, a hub portion, arms extending from said hub, bearing means formed in certain sides of said arms, the axes of said bearing means extending longitudi nally with saidhub, Vcutting members having incomplete journal'portions arranged to fit in said bearing means, and a key means arranged to complete said journal portions and lock the same in said bearings.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set my hand at Los Angeles, California, this 9th day of November, 1927. Y

- EMMETT WILSON.`

said keys being inserted through openings K at the end of said body.

6. In a -reamer of the` class described, a body having a longitudinally extending cone Vstricted recess intermediate its ends, and a reamer member having a pivot portion at its inner edge of greaterrwidth than the Width at the opening of the recess to prevent withdrawal of the reamer member from the recess through the side opening thereof, the

pivot portion of said reamer member having a removable portion permitting the pivot 

